Reformed Characters

by Sarah Veitch

  'Yes, I couldn't do a thing.'

  'That's a classic anxiety dream,' the counsellor said. Chloe narrowed her eyes. 'So can you stop me from having them?'

  Eva grimaced. 'Only once we find out what you're really feeling anxious about.'

  She leaned towards Chloe. 'Just keep describing all your recent bad dreams in detail. Maybe I'll find a pattern, a subconscious thread.'

  Chloe sucked in her breath. God, it was difficult to talk about the punishments. She'd made sure that the dream counsellor she chose was a woman, for it would be even more humbling talking about the caning scene with a man.

  'Well, I felt as if I was still awake when the nightmare began. This maidservant materialised in my room followed by her... her Master. She'd done something wrong and he ordered her to... undress her lower half.'

  'And then what?' Eva queried.

  'Then he thrashed her with his cane.'

  'And did the girl resist?' Eva asked softly.

  'No, she... was probably too afraid to defy him,' Chloe said.

  'And did the man use undue force?' the dream counsellor continued.

  Chloe thought some more. 'He had economic power over her so I suppose he didn't have to tie her down or terrorise her.'

  'What made you say it was a nightmare,' Eva probed, 'rather than just a dream?'

  Chloe opened her eyes and mouth wider with surprise, and sat up on the couch. 'Well, a woman getting whipped... I mean, the cruelty!'

  'What if it was consensual?'

  'But he was her boss, for goodness sake.'

  'Maybe he wasn't really. Maybe they were playing dressing up games for their mutual erotic enjoyment,' the therapist said.

  Chloe stood up. Now you're being ridiculous. This is obscene.'

  'Ask yourself,' Eva said quietly, 'why you're getting quite so upset by my chain of thought?'

  'Because,' Chloe muttered, 'I wanted you to help me forget the whipping and caning scenes yet you're trying to make me talk about them in greater depth.'

  She grabbed her handbag, and began to stride towards the door.

  'If you decide to stop repressing your desires,' Eva said, rushing after her and holding out a business card, 'my brother runs a club which can probably help.' Quickly she slipped a card into Chloe's jacket pocket. Just as quickly, Chloe fished it out. The Subservience Society, it read. Erotic anguish for grovelling grown ups. There followed a street name that Chloe vaguely recognised and the wording eight till late.

  'Fuck you,' the language teacher muttered, throwing out her hand to fling the card across the therapy room. But her flailing fingers connected hard with a crystal vase and sent it crashing into pieces on the ungiving sanded pine floor. Chloe reddened with embarrassment and shock, yet somehow couldn't admit that the breakage was an accident. 'See what your dream analysis makes of that!' she muttered before fleeing out of the door. That night the female ghost bared her bottom again for her intractable Master, and moaned under the tawse's rhythmic lash.

  The following Sunday, Chloe visited the local Spirit Church. 'If you could come round and exorcise the house of these whippings,' she muttered to the spiritualist.

  'We more often find that it's the house's occupants who require exorcism,' the grey-haired man said. He hesitated. 'Has there been some recent trauma in your life, some break up?'

  'Well, I split up with my boyfriend a few months ago, but we'd been drifting apart for ages,' Chloe said. 'You don't miss his... er... caresses?'

  Chloe blushed a little. 'Well, yeah, I miss having someone in that way.'

  'There you are, then!' exclaimed the man. 'Your sexual energies have built up. They've given the spirits the vitality they need to propel themselves back into this mortal coil. Now we need to work out what they're trying to say.'

  'The woman - I think she's trying to tell me that she was ill treated in this life,' the English language teacher muttered.

  'Why? Does she weep and wring her hands?' the spiritualist asked.

  'No, she... I keep seeing her being whipped or caned,' Chloe continued.

  'Is her aura dark, afraid?'

  The twenty-five year old thought back. That discipline-filled corner of the room had seemed illuminated if anything.

  'No, but she must be frightened if...'

  'Try to listen to what she wants to tell you,' said the man, 'rather than what you want to hear.' He studied her for a moment more. 'Don't try to leave the scene by closing your eyes next time. Watch and learn. Come back to us if that doesn't help.'

  'Okay,' Chloe muttered. She'd come here for a ghostbusting kit and had just been given a sermon. Still, she was so tired of not sleeping that she was willing to take the spiritualist's advice. 'They won't... the ghost master won't try to whip me, will he?' she asked as an afterthought.

  'Not if you don't want him to,' the spiritualist said.

  'Of course I don't bloody want him to.' Chloe caught sight of a painting of a golden tunnel with radiant souls drifting towards it. The peaceful image made her bite back the rest of her angry thoughts.

  'Remember that this is your domain and that you're the one with the power to change your life,' the man murmured, holding open the door.

  That night the door to the spirit world opened again and the woman slowly materialised in Chloe's room. This time she was alone, but carrying a wooden paddle. She kissed its smooth surface, then brought the implement awkwardly down over her own clothed backside. She wants a man to do it, Chloe realised with sudden clarity. She's wanted a man to do this for ever so long. Somehow the woman had denied herself the experience until she was in her middle thirties. And now she regretted these erotically-wasted years.

  The spirit turned towards the bed, towards Chloe. Eyes wide and searching, she held the paddle out. Slowly, the English Language teacher leaned forward. Just as slowly, the woman and the implement disappeared. Chloe looked at the clock. It was midnight, so the Spirit Church would be closed until tomorrow. But she knew of a club which opened from eight till late...

  Subservience was quiet, just like most clubs on a week night. Glad that she'd remembered its address, Chloe walked tentatively in. 'Can I talk to the guy who runs this place?' she asked the doorman. 'His sister, Eva, said he could help me out.'

  'Joshua? Sure, just go to the end of the corridor and knock on the door marked Manager,' the bouncer said with a friendly grin. 'You're the first tonight.'

  Trying not to stare at two women dressed as schoolgirls, Chloe walked to the appropriate room.

  'Come in,' an assured voice called. She peaked into a rectangular office with reception area. 'So, have you come to confess your sins?' the seated man enquired.

  Chloe took a step backwards and the tissues of her groin began to prickle. 'No, I... your sister Eva suggested I visit you,' she said.

  'Oh. Right. Sorry,' said the man, but he didn't sound sorry. He continued to look disconcertingly self-assured. 'It's just that I run this free service on a Wednesday night. You know, naughty girls confess your sins and receive a spanking. I just assumed you were one of them.'

  'Well I'm not.' On an emotional level Chloe wanted to flee from the scene but her legs held her in situ. Her thighs felt slightly weak at his shaming words.

  'So why are you here?' Joshua asked, running a large hand over his neat dark beard.

  'I've been having dreams of... of the things you do here,' Chloe stammered.

  'Don't be coy, my dear,' the manager said. 'What have you seen?'

  'A man and woman who... Whippings, canings, tawsing and a paddle,' Chloe said.

  'My, you have been busy!' Joshua mocked, and the language teacher felt her nipples harden and her belly soften at his tone. He paused. 'And couldn't my sister help?'

  'She couldn't, because they weren't really dreams, more ghostly images,' Chloe said, winding one leg around the other. She wished that the manager would suggest that she take a chair.

  Joshua looked her up and down as if she was a piece of merchandise. 'Wouldn't a Spirit Church a
ssist?'

  Chloe swallowed hard. 'I went to one, and they advised me to listen to what the ghosts were saying.'

  'And you finally listened, didn't you?' Joshua said softly. 'And they made you face your own submissive side. That's why you're here.'

  No, it's not that! I just... I just don't want to be alone tonight!' Chloe muttered hotly.

  'And you don't have to be alone with your repressed desires,' the Subservience manager added, 'not when you can live them out with me.'

  'What makes you think I fancy you?' Chloe gasped, though she was indeed very attracted to his assured dark features.

  'Whether or not you fancy me is immaterial,' Joshua countered, 'you still have to be punished for breaking my sister's crystal vase.'

  You still have to be punished... The words seemed to make a direct erotic path to Chloe's pubes. She swayed in place and stared, open mouthed, at the manager.

  'Eva described you to me in detail,' Joshua said.

  'And she said that you were to...?' Chloe couldn't finish the sentence.

  'She said that she'd contact the police and have you charged with malicious damage if you didn't agree to prostrate yourself across my lap,' Joshua replied.

  'Make me!' Chloe parried, her eyes wide with daring.

  'My pleasure,' Joshua murmured as he stood up and quickly strode across the room.

  He reached her as she reached the door. Chloe knew deep down that she didn't want to escape into the outside world again.

  'Let's give this bum the spanking it deserves,' he murmured, and her lust so disorientated her that she all but fell back into his arms.

  Within seconds the man had carried her over to a low leather settee. In a few fluid movements he sat himself down then flipped her over until she lay across his lap on her tummy. 'Girls who break expensive vases get their skirts raised,' he said. Chloe felt his fingers lifting her knee length denim skirt, dragging the thick material up over her thighs and her pink-pantied bottom.

  'Bet you're really having to force yourself to do this!' she muttered sarcastically.

  For a moment the club owner seemed to content himself with pushing her skirt out of the way. Then he stroked her twitching cotton-clad buttocks.

  'No, I enjoy spanking a womanly bottom,' he said evenly.

  The language teacher squirmed at his words, then she found her voice and mumbled, 'In that case you're not a well man.'

  Joshua laughed low in his throat. 'I'm extremely healthy, actually. So much so, that- I've never conjured up restless spirits.' He fondled her buttocks through their smooth warm coating. 'And nor will you after tonight.' He paused. 'But first we must pull down your pants to expose your naughty bottom, mustn't we, my pretty dear?'

  Again the rush of lust to her pubic purse unnerved her. Chloe whimpered, and pushed her thighs against the sides of her aching triangle. Her sex was aroused at the prospect of this spanking, but her brain and her psyche were equally awash with shame.

  'Couldn't I just buy your sister another vase?' she muttered, as she felt his fingers on her waistband.

  'It was a one-off,' said the manager, 'and now the man who fashioned it is dead.'

  He'd probably materialise in her room given time, Chloe thought as she stared down at the leather settee she was partially stretched across, especially if he got off on whipping female bums.

  She shivered as Joshua exposed her own curvy bum by taking down her pants to half-mast. She was aware of them bunched below her thighs, was even more aware of the naked buttocks above them. 'No one's ever spanked me before,' she whispered throatily.

  'Really? You're long overdue, then. A virgin arse will be even more sensitive,' Joshua said. She sensed that he'd raised his right hand and was holding it poised for action. 'How many spanks does this little rump deserve?'

  'Six?' Chloe muttered, unsure what constituted a reasonable thrashing.

  'I reckon it'll need ten times that,' the manager replied.

  The first spank landed on the lower portion of one full cheek. The heat seemed to radiate through to her sex core. Chloe gasped at the mild pain and maximum pleasure. She felt a similar sensation as the man smacked the neighbouring cheek.

  'Ouch,' she muttered, figuring that she'd get off more lightly if she made a lot of noise and said that she couldn't bear it.

  'These are just the warm-up smacks,' Joshua murmured, 'I haven't started your actual spanking yet.'

  A few minutes later he began to whack in earnest. Chloe exhaled hard and wriggled around on his lap as his palm warmed the centres and underswell of her bared bottom cheeks.

  'Ow,' she muttered. 'Ah, oh, argh!'

  'For a language teacher you're not very articulate,' Joshua said, heating her nates again.

  'Actions speak louder than words,' Chloe muttered, trying to reach a hand back to slap him, but he effortlessly held her in place.

  'A girl with a pinkened bare bum should be respectful,' he said. 'Now it's about to become a sore bum and get redder still.'

  'Into colour analysis, are you?' Chloe sneered quickly.

  Then she shuddered with sensation and shame as Joshua paused to fondle her glowing cheeks.

  'No,' he said, 'I'm into making naughty girls suitably obedient.'

  'You'll have a long wait,' the English Language Teacher said.

  'I'm not so sure,' the manager retorted smoothly, tracing his own palmprints. 'Either this sizzling arse or your equally hot little pussy will soon give in.'

  'You wish,' Chloe countered, trying to sound unfazed but secretly wishing that she could see the shade of scarlet her bottom had turned.

  'My palm knows when a bum is ready to beg for mercy,' her tormentor said.

  He raised that same palm again, then brought it smartly down on her quivering left sphere. Then he spanked the right cheek with the same focused pressure. Chloe squealed and kicked her feet as he repeated the spanks again and again and again.

  'Alright,' she muttered, writhing across his legs, 'I'll be respectful.'

  'Glad to hear it,' Joshua said.

  Chloe relaxed across his knee, then jerked into activity again as he continued to spank her. 'What the fuck are you doing? I've said I'll be good,' she yelled.

  'You've still ten spanks to go,' the bearded man returned, positioning his knees so that her bottom was raised more fully, 'and now you'll have to be chastened further for swearing so crudely at me.'

  'Crudely? Submit a list of acceptable swear words, why don't you?' Chloe countered. Then she concentrated on trying not to squeal as he delivered the last ten spanks to her blazing cheeks.

  'Felt nothing,' she lied as the last spank echoed around the rectangular room.

  'Didn't this bit feel anything?' Joshua asked, and she felt his finger or thumb sliding between her labial leaves. Chloe wailed with need as he slid one digit deep inside her. Each tissue felt hot and inflated and was suddenly begging for full penetration. She was overwhelmingly wet and in need.

  'I could climb on top of you,' she muttered throatily.

  'No, I'm going to make you orgasm whilst you're bending over my desk,' Joshua said. Increasing desire crept into his voice, 'that way I can admire your reddened arse as I fuck you.'

  At the belittling image, Chloe dripped anew.

  Joshua helped her to sit up and they held each other and kissed for a long, long time. Then he pulled her gently to her feet and turned her towards the desk in the room's centre.

  'Walk over to the table, sweetheart, and lean well over. That's it! No, keep your pants at your thighs and stick your bare bum right out.'

  Desperate for relief, Chloe hastened to obey him. She'd never been so aware of her arse in her entire life.

  'Like that?' she whispered, feeling another stream of lust leave her velvet underground.

  'Perfect,' the manager murmured, 'oh angel, your little bum's so red and hot. You wouldn't believe!'

  She heard his zip go down and felt his phallus against her rim, thought of how wonderful penetration felt, how all-e
ncompassing. It had been many months since her vulva had thrilled to the thrusts of a man.

  'I'm going to punish you again this weekend for swearing at me,' Joshua said softly, beginning to move in and out of her. 'Do you want to taste the whip or the cane?'

  'The paddle,' Chloe muttered, remembering her ghostly visitor.

  'And how many strokes of it should you receive?'

  'Two?' Chloe muttered, knowing that he'd increase her sentence no matter what she suggested.

  'Two in front of everyone?' Joshua said.

  'No! I didn't mean...' Chloe gasped, then broke off to moan as an especially well-angled thrust took her close to climax.

  'That's what I do when a bad girl requests a mild punishment,' Joshua explained. He thrust in, out, in. 'I give her the few strokes that she wants but deliver them in the main hall of the club with everyone watching. In your case, I suspect Eva will want to see.'

  'See what, exactly?' Chloe groaned, pre-orgasmic signals going off in her lower belly.

  'See me lift up your skirt and pull down your pants,' Joshua murmured. 'See me bringing the paddle down whilst you're tied over a punishment bench.' He paused. 'The actual thrashing only lasts a few minutes, but we usually leave the naughty bum there for an hour or two so that everyone can inspect it. Some of our more adventurous guests spank it as they go past until it's the hottest and sorest red.'

  Chloe came then, her belly pushing hard into the desk, her voice forming a series of hollow howls which underlined each contraction. Joshua kept thrusting sweetly, helping her through the biggest and longest orgasm of her life. His own climax followed just seconds later, then he lay over her back, breathing fast, for a contented while.

  'Do you want to stay the night?' he murmured later, after they'd showered and had supper and cuddled close.

  'Not this time,' Chloe said softly, kissing him. 'There's someone I want to say goodbye to. A friend...'

  The early morning streets were deserted by the time she drove home. She'd have to get up for work in three hours, but Chloe suspected that these same three hours would be sleep-filled but dreamless. Leastways, any dreams that she did have wouldn't be about whips.

  For the first time in many days, the language teacher went straight to her bedroom. She looked curiously at the window corner, then slid under the duvet of her single divan. 'Thank you, Ma'am,' she whispered. And just for a second she thought she heard the far away sound of a swishing paddle, and the net curtain flickered like a waving hand.